Ernest Hemingway published a book in in 1940 which was about a young man named Andrew Toles, who once was a top major league prospect that dropped out of baseball due to an anxiety disorder. This book was certainly a work of fiction because young Toles wound up working the early shift (4 AM) at a Kroger Grocery Store in the frozen food department. That may sound like a cool JOB (pun intended) but it only paid $7.50 and hour. Andrew knew he could do better!
After a few weeks, Andrew contacted Gabe Kapler of the Dodgers who called his boss, Andrew Friedman (who had drafted Toles in 2012) and without much hesitation, they signed Andrew to a minor league deal. Here’s where it really becomes fictional – Toles started at Rancho Cucamonga (A Ball) and slashed .370/.414/.914, then he moved to AA Tulsa where he slashed .314/.363/.877 followed by a stop at Oklahoma City in AAA where his slash line was .321/.339/.857/ Then he was called up to the Show where he slashed .314/.365/.870.
That Ernest Hemingway really has a crazy imagination – like something similar to that could ever happen? PLEASE! Great fiction! I read the book long ago, but somehow I don’t remember it like that – Maybe I’ll pick up a new copy of For Whom the Bell Toles – it Toles for Andrew – that much I know. There is a typo on the cover of the book – “Tolls” Old Ernest can’t even spell right!
Seriously, I am an Andrew Toles fan and it’s not just because he has beat his anxiety disorder with a combination of medication and counseling. I am a fan because he is as cool as the other side of the pillow and looks to be having great fun. He is fast, can play all three outfield spots and if paired with Pederson and Puig, would form one of the best defensive outfields in baseball. He also has and excellent arm. Did I mention that he fast and in fact, saves a lot of runs?
Andrew still has Rookie status and I look for him to make a run at Rookie of the Year. If he comes out of the chute playing at a high level and Andre Ethier does the same, I would look for the Dodgers to have a talk with Andre Ethier that goes something like this:
“Andre, we know you can still play and we thank you for being a good soldier but we have Andrew Toles who has tools you don’t. We would like to give you the opportunity to play everyday for a new contract so we will pay half your salary to allow you to go somewhere to play for your last contract. Just sign this paper waiving the “no trade clause” because we know you don’t want to sit on the bench.”
SIGN ZE PAPER, ANDRE! If he is healthy, someone will take him for $9 million and youth will be served. Of course, I am assuming that Andrew Toles is for real, but you don’t do what he did in 2016 – A, AA, AAA and MLB without some amazing talent and huge determination. He might not hot .300 this year, but he won’t hit .250 either. In my opinion, he’s the real deal! He could leadoff against RH pitchers, but for now that job belongs to Logan Forsythe.
Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports, via Reuters
What if Ned Were Still GM?
The Dodgers Rotation would be Kershaw, Greinke, Price, Cueto and Hamels. Urias, De Leon and Seager would be playing for Philly, Kenley Jansen would be in Miami and Justin Turner would be in St. Louis. The Dodger outfield would be Kemp, Pederson and Ethier and AJ Ellis would be the catcher. Dee Gordon would be at 2B and who the hell knows who would be at 3B and SS? The Dodgers would be the first team with a $275 million payroll to not make the playoffs!
Discussion (37)
Disagree, not disagreeable
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/02/dodgers-to-sign-franklin-gutierrez.html?fv-home=true&post-id=85149
We have some more depth. Could this be a pre cursor to a trade?
This guy is a leftie specialist and is certainly a platoon possibility. There are gonna be some good players not on the roster.
Great news to wake up to
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/02/dodgers-to-re-sign-chase-utley.html?fv-home=true&post-id=85163
We have some real strong leadership in the Clubhouse now. I’m sure Doc was very involved in this deal as he was very complimentary about Chase and all he brings.
OKC are gonna have a good team.
Utley signed for one year.
Houston,
We have another outfielder who is an old friend:
Franklin Gutierrez – Very interesting. He hits lefties well..
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/02/dodgers-to-sign-franklin-gutierrez.html
On the top navigation bar, I just added a new Page called 2017 Spring Training.
It has just about everything you need to know about Spring Training @ Camelback Ranch.
2019 rotation if Kershaw stays
1. Kershaw
2. Urias
3. Buehler
4. Alvarez
5. Stewart
If he goes:
1. Urias
2. Buehler
3. Alvarez
4. Stewart
5. Sheffield
It’s fun to dream…
For those who don’t know, Anxiety can be totally debilitating. I’m happy that Toles has found how to live with/overcome it. I’m rooting for him.
A young talented outfield of Toles, Joc, and Puig all realizing their potential would be awesome. I’m in favor of trading Gonzalez and Ethier for anything they can get and let the young guys play.
Brock Stewart is another guy who zipped through the minors. Story about him in True Blue. Illinois State grad. Played 3B in college. Good, midwest, solid guy. Hope to see him in Glendale.
You say Andrew. I say Andre. Let’s call the whole thing off. Oh. That’s a song. Sorry. I love the idea of Toles playing LF all the time. I’m not a platoon guy, but this team has a lot of capable players right now, so probably a platoon is what is will happen. At least in LF. I agree to get through the entire minor league in one year only happens to those guys who are REALLY GOOD. I hope Toles is in that category. The weather is heating up in Arizona. I think Braun will just complicate our roster for a few years. Let’s let the free flow of players continue and focus on pitching and defense. Aren’t we projected to score a bunch of runs next year? Without Braun. I know. Projections aren’t good anymore. I’ll buy into them for now.
Box, yes CJ Edwards is the hard throwing swing & miss guy. He hits 100. And I do agree he is not the 2017 set-up guy, but I do like his future. Match him with Romo and RH batters should get all tied up. I like him much better than both Baez and Hatcher. Ravin may get there, but I still would prefer CJ.
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Pedro Strop is the set-up guy for Davis right now, and that will not change if Edwards is there or not.
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With respect to Alex Wood, I have been one of his biggest supporters since he came to LA (and caught a lot of grief for it). I am a huge Alex Wood fan, and would love it if he made the rotation. But I do not see it happening. Kershaw/Hill/Kazmir are the LHSP with Urias ready. If everything works out, Ryu will also be in the pipeline. They do not need another lefty in the starting rotation. I think he would be a terrific long-reliever spot starter, but again do they need another lefty?
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I was just trying to put a respectable package together to get Ian Happ. The Cubs need team controlled left hand pitching (both starting and relieving), that will be there for 2018. Verdugo and Calhoun may be expendable, but IMO just the two of them does not pique the interest of the Jed Hoyer and Theo. Alex Wood and Luis Avilan just might. If the Cubs would take Wood and Avilan for Happ, I would jump all over it. But that is not going to get it done. Happ is the Cubs #1 prospect, and he is the MLB #2 second base behind Moncada. The Cubs have admitted that they do not have any strong pitching candidates in the upper minors, but do have at A ball moving up to AA. That is 2019 at the earliest. If the Cubs ask for Buehler or Alveraz in return, then FAZ will be hoping that Calhoun will learn to play 2B.
Wasn’t familiar with either Happ or Edwards. Interesting ideas. Edwards stats indicate he must be a hard throwing swing and miss guy, but, wild. True? Amazing amount of strikeouts/walks to innings pitched. Do you think he needs to take another step up before being the set-up guy? If not, don’t you think Cubs will need him?
I have been saying it and I know you have been saying it for about a year now. FAZ needs a couple quantity for quality trades to “loosen the logjam”. The guy I am really pulling for this spring is Wood. If he looks good, he could be a huge asset or trade piece.
Assuming Puig reaches his potential (and that is a big assumption) he is a RH power bat. I see Toles as a Inciarte- type player… with more power. I think he can hit .290+ with .340+ OB% while stealing 20+ bases and hitting 10-14 HR. Bellinger goes to 1B. Seager, obviously is a fixture. Beyond that, Verdugo and Calhoun are trade-bait for a big RH bat. At least, that’s the way I see it.
1B – Bellinger L
2B – Forsythe R
SS – Seager L
3B – Turner R
LF – Toles l
CF – Pederson L
RF – Puig R
C – Grandal L/R
Maybe they can trade Calhoun and Verdugo for Ian Happ who is a switch hitter.
Toles, Verdugo, Bellinger, Seager, Pederson, Calhoun = an outstanding young core but all are lefty hitters. If they all play, where would Puig play?